About Us

Brewster FLATS (Friends of Lands Aquatics, Trails & Shellfish) is a network of community members, dedicated to protecting, preserving, and enhancing Brewster’s valuable natural resources through a unified, informed, and motivated group of volunteers. With guidance from the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), participants respond to the incessant environmental concerns impacting our lands, waterways, & wildlife.

Our purpose is to provide a more structured approach to organizing, coordinating, and recognizing Brewster’s valuable corps of volunteers. At present we number approximately 150, dispersed among these 5 focus areas:

Trails

The Brewster DNR is charged with maintaining all the trails and conservation land in Town. Volunteers assist with trail pruning, habitat restoration and invasive species removal, and becoming involved with our Trail Stewards Program.

Aquatics and Ponds

The Brewster DNR monitors 29 ponds in Town, testing for clarity, temperature, & dissolved oxygen. PALS (Ponds and Lakes Stewards) is the name for our pond stewards who assist with water collection and data recording. The sampling schedule occurs twice a year, once in April and once in September with a time commitment of four hours each time.

Shellfish

The Brewster DNR manages 2 oyster grants and 1 quahog grant as part of its shellfish propagation program. The shellfish that are grown help to supply oysters and quahogs for our recreational shellfish license holders. Our volunteers help with culling, deployment, and occasional assist with “quality control.” A majority of the work is done during the summer months on the flats at low tide.

Community Events

The Brewster DNR organizes several environmentally focused community events throughout the year that require a large number of volunteers to help make everything run smoothly. Among these are Beautify Brewster, Brewster Conservation Day, Beach Sweeps and others. These events provide a great opportunity for families to get involved with the community and unite under a common goal.

Fund Raising

The Brewster DNR develops and organizes numerous community events where food and beverages are served. We are looking for volunteers to seek sponsorship from local businesses.

It is our goal to expand the quality of environmental stewardship through a more prepared and better informed community. We are looking for people to help build and expand the possibilities and strengthen our service to the environment and our community.

Getting involved:
Brewster FLATS Volunteer Network is always looking to expand our membership and strengthen our community. If you are interested, or know someone who may be interested in being part of this great group, simply click here. You can also contact the Brewster Natural Resource Dept. at 508-896-4546 or e-mail Ryan Burch at rburch@town.brewster.ma.us

How it works:
You have 5 different options for volunteering, you can choose all 5 or just 1, it is your choice. Once you choose a group, there is NO commitment required. You are signing up to be notified that an event is taking place, it will be your decision whether or not you can attend. Prior to an event, a notification will be e-mailed to you with all the details (time, place, what to bring, etc.). If you can make it great, if not, we hope to see you next time!